Some Disappointing Katrina Actions, Reactions, and Stories

Wow, are the true colors ever coming out in this catastrophe. Here are some appalling and/or ridiculous things you might not have caught in the whirlwind of Katrina coverage:

• When In a Huff(ington), No Good Deed Or Utterance Goes Unpunished–Arianna Huffington can’t handle the idea that Bill Clinton is was being constructive:
  

  What the hell was Bill Clinton thinking, standing there next to President Bush and providing verbal cover for the administration’s ludicrous claims that the problems plaguing New Orleans were unforeseeable?

  He even defended the administration’s catastrophic response to Katrina. When asked on CNN whether the federal response was fast enough, Clinton bobbed, weaved, and fell back on this utterly absurd claim: “You and I are not in a position to make any judgment because we weren’t there.” C’mon, Bill, “…we weren’t there”? I know this sucking up business is hard, but you’ve got to do better than that.

  BizzyBlog has no shortage of Bill Clinton criticisms, but in this case the ex-President is was dead on. Despite what Arianna claims, he is was not only NOT unconditionally defending the administration (which is OK), he is was smart enough to know that the time for second-guessing is NOT now; there will be plenty of time for the Monday morning stuff later.

  The only people who SHOULD be second-guessed are the people who couldn’t keep their mouths shut for even a few days. Having unleashed their second-guesses, they deserve the full anal exam for their roles. You’ll notice that most of the involved second-guessers, as the truth has leaked out, have been found to have performed poorly themselves.

  UPDATE: A commonly cited phenomenon reappears–The Clinton Cave-In:

  HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) — Former President Bill Clinton on Monday said the government “failed” the thousands of people who lived in coastal communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina, and said a federal investigation was warranted in due time.

  “Our government failed those people in the beginning, and I take it now there is no dispute about it,” Clinton told CNN. “One hundred percent of the people recognize that — that it was a failure.”

  Just as when he was in office, the “he who shouts the loudest gets his attention” ex-president couldn’t stand the leftist criticism and wilted. I am so not surprised.

• “What fools these mortals be”–Sean Penn may have earned lifetime ridicule for this failed escapade:
  

  Movie star and political activist Penn, 45, was in the collapsing city to aid stranded victims of flooding sparked by Hurricane Katrina, but the small boat he was piloting to launch a rescue attempt sprang a leak.

  The outspoken actor had planned to rescue children waylaid by the deadly waters, but apparently forgot to plug a hole in the bottom of the vessel, which began taking water within seconds of its launch.

  When the boat’s motor failed to start, those aboard were forced to use paddles to propel themselves down the flooded New Orleans street.

  Asked what he had hoped to achieve in the waterlogged city, the actor replied: “Whatever I can do to help.”

  But with the boat loaded with members of the Oscar-winner’s entourage, including his personal photographer, one bystander taunted: “How are you going to get any people in that thing?”

  If there’s video, it will be played, and played, and played……

• Bad-Weather Mayor a Fair-Weather Friend–After ripping Bush and defending Louisiana Governor Blanco a few days ago, New Orleans Mayor Nagin has totally reversed direction:
  

  Mayor Nagin: Gov. Blanco Delayed Rescue

  After days of blaming the federal officials for not responding quickly enough to the Hurricane Katrina crisis, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin praised President Bush on Monday - and charged that Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco had delayed federal rescue efforts by 24-hours.

  “I’m so happy that the president came down here,” Nagin said of Bush’s Friday visit to Louisiana in an interview with CNN. “He came down and saw it, and he put a general on the field. His name is General Honore. And when he hit the field, we started to see action.”

  But Nagin had harsh words for his state’s leaders, telling CNN: “What the state was doing, I don’t frigging know. But I tell you, I am pissed. It wasn’t adequate.”

  With this guy, you need to have your back on 24-hour watch.

• Finally, Neuro-Conservative notes that The New York Times, which considers itself the national newspaper of record, and which has strongly criticized the preparations for Katrina and the overall vulnerability of New Orleans recently (despite having criticized past proposals intended to alleviate it, as noted by the ever-diligent EU Rota), failed to cover the evacuation orders or other hurricane prep in New Orleans in its Sunday, August 28 edition. The Times’ march towards becoming Manhattan’s quaint little alternative newspaper continues.